Lorgnette opera-glasses.



B. F. WALTER.

LORGNETTE OPERA GLASSES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1,1915.

1., 17 9,787. Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

113' vll-llllml'l IIIA HI .IIIIIIIIII 7 Ml IVTOR BLOOMFIELD F. WALTER, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

LORGNETTE OPERA-GLASSES.

Application filed .1 uly 1, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BLOOMFIELD F. \VAL- rrn, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lorgnette Opera-Glasses, of which the following is ai i-full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make, con struct, and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to numerals of reference marked thereon,forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in lorgnette opera glasses, and has for its object the production of opera glasses designed to be folded up in a small compass, convenient for carrying in a handle casing in lorgnette form.

With this end in view, my invention consists in certain novelties of construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims.

While the preferred forms of my invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, yet it is to be understood that minor detail changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof.

Throughout the specification and drawings, similar numerals of reference indicate like parts.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan view of my improved device made in accordance with my invention, illustrating the opera-glasses contracted and inclosed in a handle casing. Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 represents a similar view, showing the opera-glasses extended. Figs. 4 and 5 represent respectively, on an enlarged scale, plan views of the frames in which are formed or secured, sockets which receive the ocular and object lenses. Fig. 6 represents on an enlarged scale, a transverse section taken on line a z of Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 represents a similar view taken on line of Fig. 4.

. Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the frame or handle casing for holding the opera glasses, which may be of any desired form or configuration. ilx'llitlldlG 2 on one end of the frame 1, is provided with a spring catch 3, for engagement with a suitable projection 4 located on thelower lens frame -5.

Specification of LetterslPatent.

Patented Apr. is, rare.

Serial No. 37,405. Y

The lower lens frame 5 is .pivotally connected to one end of the frame 1 by means of a spring-actuated hinge 6 of ordinary construction, and in any desired or convenient manner.

The lower frame 5 and the upper frame 7 are provided with sockets 8 and 9 respectively, to receive the ocular lenses l0 and the object lenses 11. The frames 5 and 7 are connected by a set of lazy-tongs levers 12, 13, let and 15, which constitute a brace. A spring-actuated catch 16 is pivotally secured to one side of the lens frame 5,said catch being provided with an extension 17, clesigned to engage with the top of the lens frame, 7, and to hold said frame 7 in its locked and contracted relation with the frame 5 and in the frame or handle casing 1.

Formed preferably integral with the frame 1 and projecting downwardly therefrom near the front edge thereof, is a lug 18, designed to have sliding engagement with the front edge 19 of the catch 16, when the lens frames move outward in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1 of the drawings, thereby releasing the extension 17 from the upper lens frame 7 and permitting the lens frames to automatically assume an extended position, as indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The springactuated catch 16 is pivotally mounted in a pair of bearings 20 conveniently formed on the lens frame 5.

The extremities of the levers 14 and 15 are pivotally connected to cross-bars 2121, each cross-bar having secured to one side a toothed rack 22 and to the opposite side a straight guide 23, the racks 22 being designed to engage with a pinion 2st rotatively secured to a plate 25, which is mounted on the top of the frame 7 said racks 22 being slidably arranged in guide-ways located in the upper portion of the frame 7, and the guides 23 being slidably arranged in guideways formed in the lower portion of the frame, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 4: and 7 of the drawings.

The extremities of the spring-actuated levers 12 and 13 are pivotally connected to cross-heads 26, and are each provided with a spiral spring 35, so arranged in said extremity that when the lens frames are released from their locked positions, said springs will tend to move the levers to an extended position, and each cross-head having secured to one side a toothed rack 27, and to the opposite side a straight guide 28, in substantially the same manner as the ends of the levers l4 and 15, the racks 27 being designed to engage with a pinion 29 rotatively secured to a plate 30, which is mounted on the bottom of the frame 5, said racks 27 being slidably arranged in guide-ways located in the lower portion of the frame 5, and the guides 28 being slidably arranged in guide-ways formed in the upper portion of the frame, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings.

Mounted on the opposite side of the frame 5, in which the spring-actuated catch is mounted, are means whereby the lens frames may be held in any desired adjusted position 'to retain the glasses at their proper foci.

These means consist of a right and lefthanded screw 31, the ends of which are rotatively secured in bearings 32 secured to the frame 5, said screw 31 being provided with a knurled portion, whereby the screw may be manipulated. Adjustable screwthreaded stops 33 are carried by the screw 31, the inner edge 34 of which is designed to engage with the inner face of the crosshead 26, to limit the inward movement thereof, so that when the glasses are once adjusted, they will remain in their adjusted position until it is desired to change the adjustment, which is accomplished by manipulating the screw 81, thereby causing the said stops 33 to be moved toward or away from each other, which enable the frames 5 and 7 to be adjusted relatively one toward the other.

To operate my device, the spring catch 3 of the handle 2 is disengaged from the projection 4 located on the lower lens frame 5, thereby permitting the lens frames 5 and 7, which are held in their locked and contracted position by means of the spring catch 16, to be acted upon by the spring-actuated hinge 6, to cause the lens frame to be automatically swung into the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings. WVhile the contracted and locked lens frames 5 and 7 are leaving the handle casing 1, the front edge 19 of the catch 16 is acted upon by the lug 18 formed on the front edge of the handle casing 1, thereby releasing the catch from the lug and permitting the spring-actuated pivoted levers 12 and 13 to cause the lens frame 7 to be moved into its extended position, as clearly indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The lens frame 7 is moved in its extended position by reason of the spring-actuated levers 12 and 13, which are pivotally connected to the crossheads 26, each cross-head having secured to one side a toothed rack 27, the racks 27 being designed to engage with the pinion 29, so that when the lens frames leave the frame or handle casing, the spring-actuated levers 12 and 13, as well as the levers 14 and 15 which are pivotally connected thereto, are moved in an extended position, and the racks carried by said levers engage with the respective pinions to insure a uniform movement, while the lens frame 7 moves in either an upward or a downward direction. The arrangement of the screw-threaded stops 33 on the screw 31 limits the upward or outward movement of the lens frame 7 Experience has demonstrated that the organization above described is a highly efficient one, and while the device described is the preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction and combination herein set forth, as minor variations thereof, not involving the exercise of invention, may be made by any skilled mechanic, and such departures from what is herein described and claimed, not involving invention, I consider within the scope and terms of my claims.

I claim:

1. An opera-glass comprising a handle casing, a spring actuated lower lens frame pivoted to one end of said casing, an upper lens frame and spring-actuated levers connecting the upper and lower lens frames.

2. An opera-glass comprising a handle casing adapted to receive and inclose a fold ing opera-glass, a spring-actuated object lens frame pivoted to one end of said casing, an ocular lens frame and spring-actuated levers connecting the ocular and object lens frames.

3. An opera-glass comprising a handle casing, a spring-actuated lens frame pivoted to one end of said casing, an upper lens frame, spring-actuated levers connecting the upper and lower lens frames and locking means on the handle casing for engagement with one of said lens frames to lock the lens frames in folded position in said handle casing.

4. An opera-glass comprising a handle casing adapted to receive and inclose a folding opera glass, a spring-actuated lower lens frame pivotally secured to one end of said handle casing, an upper lens frame,

spring-actuated levers connecting the upper and lower lens frames, and locking means carried by one of said lens frames for engagement with the other lens frame to lock and hold said lens frames in folded position in said handle casing.

5. An opera-glass comprising a handle casing adapted to receive and inclose a folding opera glass, a spring-actuated lower lens frame pivotally secured to one end of said handle casing, an upper lens frame, spring-actuated levers connecting the upper and lower lens frames, locking means carried by one of said lens frames for engagement with the other lens frame to lock and hold said lens frames in folded position in iii) iao

said handle casing and means carried by one of said lens frames to effect the adjustment of the other lens frame.

6. An opera-glass comprising a handle casing adapted to receive and inclose a folding opera glass, a spring-actuated lower lens frame pivotally secured to one end of said handle casing, an upper lens frame springactuated levers connecting the upper and lower lens frames, locking means carried by one of said lens frames for engagement with the other lens frame to lock and hold said lens frames in folded position in said handle casing, means carried by one of said lens frames to effect the adjustment of the other lens frame and means located on the handle casing adapted to engage with the locking means on the lens frame to automatically permit the folded lens frames to assume an extended position when leaving the handle casing.

7. An opera-glass comprising a handle casing adapted to receive and inclose an opera glass, a lower lens frame pivotally secured to one end of said handle casing, an upper lens frame, spring-actuated levers connecting the upper and lower lens frames and means carried by one of said lens frames to effect the adjustment of the other lens frame.

8. An opera-glass comprising a handle casing adapted to receive and inclose an opera glass, a lower lens frame pivotally secured to one end of said handle casing, an upper lens frame, spring-actuated levers connecting the upper and lower lens frames, means carried by one of said lens frames to effect the adjustment of the other lens frame and locking means on the handle casing for engagement with one of said lens frames to lock the lens frames in folded position in said handle casing.

9. An opera-glass comprising a handle 10. An opera-glass comprislng a handle casing adapted to receive and inclose a folding opera glass, a lower lens frame pivoted to one end of said casing, an uppper lens frame, levers connecting the upper and lower lens frames, racks and guides carried by said levers and slidably mounted in both the upper and lower lens frames, a pinion carried by each of said lens frames operativelv connected with said racks, means carried by one of said lens frames to effect the adjustment of the other lens frame and locking means on the handle casing for engagement with one of said lens frames to lock the lens frames in folded position in said handle casing.

This specification signed and witnessed this 29th day of June, 1915.

BLOOMFIELD F. WALTER. Witnesses:

HENRY E. LEIBE, FRnoK. C. FISCHER.

(topics of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

